Overnight, a series of explosions rattled Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul. These unsettling events occurred simultaneously with the Taliban’s foreign minister engaging in high-level discussions in New Delhi with senior Indian officials. This visit marks the most significant diplomatic exchange between the two nations in four years, following the Taliban’s takeover of the U.S.-backed government in Kabul, which India had previously supported.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief spokesman for the Taliban, confirmed the midnight blasts but offered no immediate details, stating only that an investigation was underway.
Whispers and outright accusations quickly spread across social media, with a prominent former American official suggesting that Pakistan’s military was behind the explosions, claiming they were airstrikes targeting the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (also known as the Pakistani Taliban). Pakistan has long asserted that this group, responsible for a two-decade insurgency on its soil, is plotting fresh attacks from safe havens in Afghanistan, allegedly with support from India’s intelligence. However, Afghan authorities vehemently deny providing any assistance or refuge to the militant organization.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. chief negotiator for the peace agreement that preceded the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, voiced strong concern on social media, describing the alleged Pakistani strikes as ‘a huge escalation’ with ‘dangerous risks.’ However, he did not present any evidence to substantiate his claims of Pakistani involvement.
Both Pakistani officials and Taliban leadership remained silent on the direct cause of the Kabul explosions. Yet, Pakistan’s military released a statement Friday, vaguely referencing ‘a series of retribution operations’ without specifying the nature or target of these actions.
These blasts occurred precisely as Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s chief diplomat, was visiting India—a diplomatic move widely seen by analysts as a deliberate provocation towards Pakistan. During his visit, Mr. Muttaqi was slated to meet with high-ranking Indian officials, including Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and potentially National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.
Regional tensions are clearly escalating, challenging long-held alliances and reshaping geopolitical dynamics. Earlier this year, the nuclear-armed rivals, India and Pakistan, engaged in a brief military skirmish. Furthermore, Pakistan’s relationship with the Taliban, a group it once supported with safe havens throughout their two-decade insurgency in Afghanistan, has significantly deteriorated since the Taliban regained control in Kabul, leading to violent border clashes.
Pakistan’s government is under intense pressure following a recent wave of devastating attacks across the nation, including a deadly incident this week that claimed the lives of over a dozen soldiers.
During a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated accusations that individuals in Afghanistan were aiding militants in crossing into Pakistan. Later, his defense minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, informed parliament that a delegation would soon travel to Kabul to insist that Afghan authorities dismantle the militant safe havens Pakistan claims are used for attacks within its borders.
Should Pakistan indeed be responsible for the Kabul strikes, the timing appears to be a clear message to the Taliban: any move towards strengthening ties with India will be met with severe disapproval.
While India has shown increasing diplomatic warmth towards the Taliban government recently, their relationship was historically fraught. During the Taliban’s initial rule in Afghanistan in the 1990s and their subsequent two-decade insurgency, India remained deeply suspicious. This was largely due to two highly sensitive incidents: the 1999 hijacking of an Indian plane, which India accused the Taliban of sheltering, and a 2008 terrorist attack on India’s diplomatic mission in Kabul that resulted in dozens of deaths, including four Indian officials.
Additional reporting by Salman Masood from Islamabad, Pakistan.